Gun Control: Never Let a Serious Crisis go to Waste

I haven’t wanted to discuss the current debate on Gun Laws. It’s a personal and touchy subject. It brings heated dialog. While I don’t shy from deep discussions, I think a blog isn’t always the best place for such a profoundly personal issue.

However, there are a few FACTS that are being widely distorted, ignored, or are simply unknown. 

FACT- The Second Amendment wasn’t put in place to protect hunters! It was put in place so man (and woman) could defend himself, his family and his property. To talk about hunting is skirting and distorting the real issue.

FACT- History repeats itself if people don’t LEARN from it. Sadly many don’t care to learn. Or they have been incorrectly taught by teachers who are either seeking to further their own agenda’s or have also been incorrectly educated.  

I’m not saying we are headed to Nazi Germany. I’m not even saying we are headed to Canada. What I am saying is -it’s time American’s get educated and take a stand on one side or the other (stand not in fear, but in knowledge).

It is my “estimation” that approximately half of the American’s who don’t want to see our 2^nd Amendment rights infringed upon are willing to take on this battle. 

Strangely, I see many who are apathetic to this and can’t begin to fathom why this is so important. 

It’s important because it’s in our Constitution- it’s part of what makes us AMERICA.

It’s important because history does repeat itself.

I’ve heard it said that only criminals and Dictators don’t want the citizens armed.  Mull that over for a while and tell me how it sits in your stomach. It doesn’t sit well in mine. 

When I was a youth and studied WWI & WWII, I couldn’t understand how the German people allowed such evil to occur. What was wrong with them? Didn’t they see how vile Hitler was? Why couldn’t they believe his words in Mein Kampf? How could the church have been fooled? 

Over the years I’ve come to realize the Germans were willfully blind. They chose not to see the evil and/or they didn’t believe it could ever get that bad. They allowed a Gun Registry to be established which made confiscation easy. Canada did the same thing. (check out this mind blowing article/video about gun owners in Canada and a warning to AMERICA). 

FACT- If stricter Gun laws make a place safer why do Chicago and Washington DC still have the highest crime rates (Homicides, A&B, Burglary, etc)? 

People like to take convenient little stats and twist them- such a saying strict Gun laws make citizens safer. In my January Newsletter I gave a link to an article in the Wall Street Journal providing the other side of the story to England and Australia’s strict Gun laws. 

Here’s what I’ve learned both from my Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice and my experience as an ER RN, when people want to do something, no amount of laws will stop them.

If someone wants to hurt another, having stricter Gun Laws won’t deter them…they will find alternative means.

If someone wants to hurt themselves, not having a Gun won’t deter them…they will find another way. 

If we are so concerned with safety, maybe we shouldn’t stop at Gun Control…

 Maybe we should stop selling knives- even steak knives. We can just chew our meat like dogs. 

But we can’t stop there; we also have to get rid of all explosives and compounds that make explosives. 

And we can’t allow people to drive; they might kill someone or themselves. 

What about meds, can people be trusted to take them as prescribed?

See how crazy this is? 

IF we really want to make citizens safer we need to start having real dialog and leave the 2^nd Amendment alone.

REAL dialog…our mental health system needs help. Our family structures need readjustment. Our economy needs fixing. Our insane thirst for violent entertainment needs to be curbed. Our educational system needs to be overhauled. Our priorities need to be corrected. 

Leaving the topic of Gun Control, let’s look at what happened when America tried banning alcohol- Prohibition 1920-1933. It didn’t work. In fact, it led to an increase in crime and to the growth of the American Mafia. 

Why didn’t prohibition work? Because people’s moral/desires/principles (whatever you want to call it) wouldn’t comply- there were underlying issues warring with the law. 

If America wants to decrease crime and shooting sprees, we must address the underlying issues (have REAL dialog) and stop trying to put Band-Aids on hemorrhages. 

The real reason we are having this illogical debate over Gun Control isn’t for the citizen’s safety. It’s because those who oppose the 2^ndAmendment “never let a serious crisis go to waste” (Rahm Emanuel- 2008 article not related to gun control). That sound harsh?…reality is harsh. Click here for Emanuel's Gun Law push. 

I’m not saying we shouldn’t discuss Gun Control and possibly tighten up some areas. What I am saying is, we have to be careful we don’t go down the rabbit hole and get lost in the darkness. I’m saying we can’t let our liberties go so easily. I’m saying it’s time for REAL dialog. 

Check out this passionate defense of our 2^nd Amendment by a Legal Immigrant here- though English is his second language, he says this better than I. 

FACT- Guns don't kill people. People kill people...guns are just sometimes the mechanism utilized.  Just like forks are sometimes used to assist people in gluttony- the forks don't make the person fat.